Chapter 52: Prophecy
Two somewhat bulky carriages traveled along a dirt road, leaving deep ruts in their wake. Though the iron-black carriages looked unremarkable, the several Donkens pulling them appeared exceptionally majestic.
Click-clack…
A mechanical winch turned. The drunkard of the "Sunset Red" squad clung beneath the carriage, dismantling something.
"Almost done? The Donkens pulling the cart can't hold out much longer. Release the winch."
The bear-like old man slapped the floorboard beneath him, producing a booming sound, his temper clearly foul.
"Almost there. Shut up."
The drunkard was clearly not one to be trifled with either. He was the squad's scout, skilled in mechanical repair, explosive mixing, assassination, and the like.
The bear-like old man, Josiah, was clearly the type to charge head-on, leading the charge in nine out of ten battles.
Holy Councilor Carmen was the scheming type. His strength was inferior to Josiah's, and his skill inferior to Witchgrave's, but his overall capabilities were stronger.
The senile Witchgrave was the long-range firepower. He excelled at using bows, crossbows, shotguns, siege crossbows, blow darts, and all other ranged weapons. Whenever a witch was captured alive, he was the one responsible for interrogation.
Drunkard, Blood Bear, Carmen, and Gunter (Witchgrave) — these were the names they called each other.
The four in the carriage all appeared calm, lacking the aura of men marching to their doom. In their view, not returning was to be expected; dying in the south was their duty, and coming back alive was a huge bonus.
Inside the Sunset Red suicide squad's carriage, Witchgrave stared blankly at the canopy, clearly having another bout of senility.
"We'll go from here to here. If the ley lines haven't shifted too much, this area is a large swamp. Once we reach here, we'll be deep in the southern region. We'll have to abandon the carriages and pass through the Dawn Gate from here. Beyond the Dawn Gate lies the direct territory of the Moye family. After passing the Dawn Gate, my destination is the Mire Altar, and yours is the Mist Fortress."
Carmen's finger pointed to a blood-red area on the map, a zone with special markings.
"Do we have to pass through here?"
Su Xiao pointed to the location of the Dawn Gate.
"We must pass through here. The Dawn Gate wasn't built by witches; it's a natural peril. No witches live nearby. The last few times, we went through the Bewildering Forest or the Wind Tower. This time, of course, we need a different route."
Carmen was experienced. He knew the southern terrain well, having ventured deep into the south many times.
"The Dawn Gate seems to be my old home."
Witchgrave suddenly spoke. Carmen smiled and shook his head, not paying much attention to Witchgrave's words. The guy often said incomprehensible things; given his senility, it wasn't surprising.
"Once we pass the Dawn Gate, we need to be careful. You can get a general understanding of the Mire Altar. We need to go there to confirm the location of Eyun. The last few times, Eyun resided at the Mire Altar. The situation in recent years is unclear. As for the Mist Fortress…"
Carmen began a detailed introduction of the Mist Fortress. It was built halfway up a mountain range. Due to the waterfalls on both sides of the mountain, the fortress appeared misty from below, as if floating in the fog.
The Mist Fortress was the headquarters of the Moye family, equivalent in status to the headquarters of the Holy Healing Church. Moye Nora had resided in the Mist Fortress for many years. Barring any surprises, she was almost certainly there.
The Sunset Red squad was responsible for going to the Mire Altar to deal with Eyun. Su Xiao was to attack the Mist Fortress. The two teams would try to advance simultaneously. When Su Xiao encountered Moye Nora, the Sunset Red squad would try to take down Eyun first, preferably alive. At the right moment, they would kill Eyun, and simultaneously, Su Xiao would kill Moye Nora, breaking the sisters' immortality ability.
The Mire Altar and the Mist Fortress weren't too far apart. Even so, it was difficult for the Holy Healing Church to synchronize their actions. However, the wireless earpiece Su Xiao provided made synchronization no longer a problem.
Although Carmen found the wireless earpiece very magical, clearly a product ahead of its time, he didn't ask about its origin. Su Xiao didn't explain either. Both understood that internal conflict must be avoided at all costs now.
"That's roughly the plan. We've discussed it several times before. It should be fine, right?"
Carmen looked up at Su Xiao.
"No problem."
"Good. But before we head to the Dawn Gate, we need to do one thing."
Saying this, Carmen gripped his staff. The combat power of the Sunset Red squad was unquestionable, but they hadn't hunted witches in a long time and needed to warm up. Witchgrave especially — fighting witches would help him stay more alert.
At this moment, the group was still in the Central Plains region, heading straight for the south. If they needed to warm up, there were plenty of witches in the south.
…
South, Mist Fortress.
A torrential waterfall cascaded down, its thunderous roar echoing throughout the valley. Below the valley, wooden huts could be seen scattered about. The witches' headquarters wasn't as luxurious as one might imagine. Most witches were homebodies. As long as they had sufficient material reserves, these obsessive women could stay home for half a year or even a year, trying to improve themselves or develop weapons.
Witches with ample experimental materials weren't particularly dangerous. However, there was one thing: witches were transformed from humans. Their body structure was over 99% similar to humans. Because of this, before developing potions or abilities, they would first experiment on commoners to avoid irreversible harm to themselves.
Witches weren't dangerous when they were homebodies. But when their experimental "materials" ran out, it was time for the demons to be unleashed. This was precisely why humans hated witches so much.
A wail came from a small wooden hut in the valley. After a moment, the screams grew weaker and weaker.
Inside this U-shaped valley was a towering mountain. Between two waterfalls on the mountain, a castle was built. Due to its age, the castle had almost merged with the mountain.
At the pool directly below the castle, the waterfall churned up large white splashes. At the calmer, shallower edge of the shore, steam rose. The water falling from the waterfall wasn't cold; it was actually a natural hot spring.
Over a dozen naked witches soaked in the hot spring. Though witches were homebodies, that didn't mean they didn't like cleanliness, especially with this natural hot spring available.
Gurgle…
A little girl with short, gray-white hair was immersed in the warm water. The dozen or so witches around her occasionally cast glances her way, making sure she didn't have any accidents.
The little girl was a Fourth Stage White Witch. She had defied common sense by awakening a prophecy ability at the Fourth Stage. She didn't infer the future through text or omens; she could directly see the future and display it. Of course, this powerful ability had a weakness: she couldn't predict the fate of those who were too strong.
Because of this, this little White Witch was the apple of most Black Witches' eyes. Who didn't have unexpected fortune or misfortune? If the little girl foresaw danger, she could save these witches' lives.
"Emmy, you'll faint if you soak any longer."
A voluptuous witch lifted the little girl out of the hot spring.
"The future…"
The little girl's voice sounded somewhat dull. Hearing her words, the dozen or so witches around her all looked at her. The mature lady holding her also became serious.
"Emmy, what did you see?"
The mature lady gently supported the little girl's back. Foreseeing the future wasn't a risk-free ability. Sometimes, the little girl would go into shock while prophesying.
After a moment, the little girl's expression was no longer dull. She lightly touched the water's surface with her finger, causing ripples to spread. An image appeared in the water.
"These old men are… witch hunters?"
"They look like it. Let's assume they are."
"Did the Holy Healing Church's witch hunters all die off? Sending these old, weak, and disabled to the south?"
Just as a few witches finished speaking, a Black Witch with white hair suddenly stood up from the water.
"Witch… grave."
This old witch, covered in scars, trembled at the corners of her mouth, a look of what could only be called fear appearing in her eyes.